117 Hitchin Road beats the heat by building their own back garden beach

The ‘back garden beach’ has parasols, loungers and even a Tiki bar!

Hft’s Hitchin Road service has come up with a brilliant way to beat the heatwave – by building their own beach in the back garden.

Not wanting to battle packed seaside crowds to cool off, learning disabled adults at the supported living service in Bedfordshire, created a fully-fledged ‘back yard beach’ just steps from their door.

The DIY ‘beach’ comes complete with sand, loungers for soaking up the rays, parasols and even its own Tiki bar where smoothies and ice creams are served to keep cool.

The beach even has its own warden – Paul.

He sets out the chairs, serves refreshments and keeps the good vibes flowing.

The sunny set up comes as the UK continues to swelter in a series of heatwaves, with weather experts predicting the summer of 2026 could be the hottest in decades.

So far this summer, Brits have been left sweltering with temperatures regularly soaring into the mid 30c.

The idea of creating their very own beach came at the service’s monthly residents meeting.

The 10 people who live at the service, rated as five star by the local council, worked alongside their support workers to design exactly what their bespoke beach should look like.

John is now planning his birthday celebrations on the beach – with traditional seaside favourites including fish and chips and ice cream.

Housemate Christopher added: “I love my sunbed and parasol. It’s a great place to chill.”

Hft Service manager Claire Davies-Sond said the back yard beach has been a huge hit.

“The people we support really love going to the beach, but it can be difficult to organise trips where everyone can enjoy it together.
“Now they can go to the beach every day – it’s just a few steps away.”

The beach is part of a bigger transformation of the large back garden at the service.

There’s now an al fresco dining area, a revamped memory lane garden filled with plants and a wheelchair-accessible herb garden.

A pergola relaxation area has been brightened up with hanging baskets, and a brand-new sensory hub has been built to offer a calm space to unwind.

From sand between their toes to smoothies in the sun – this is one back garden that’s giving the British seaside a run for its money.